Control and Affection
by Wolf and Leopard
Summary: Love between a girl who refuses her emotions and a boy who wants to find his. GaaraXOC Rated M just in case.
1. Chapter 1

**_Control and Affection_**

**_Chapter 1_**

**News**

Three people were seated at a table, the dark room illuminated by a single candle located in the middle of the table. The light shown on the faces of two teenagers and an old man each had a strong resemblance to one another. All three had high cheekbones and striking yellow eyes in addition to the brown hair and tanned skin often found in the inhabitants of Sunagakure.

After a few moments the older man spoke, his voice gravely and serious.

"With the death of the Kazekage our village will need the help of its council and shinobi in order to survive during these difficult times. Luckily for us Konohagakure has forgiven the recent attack and has accepted our proposition for an alliance."

Turning to the girl whose dark hair was pulled back in a low ponytail with a horizontal scar marring the skin on her left cheek, the older man continued grimly.

"Noemi, starting tomorrow you'll start working as my assistant full time."

Noemi's expression barely changed as she obediently responded,

"Yes, Grandfather."

The boy had shaggy brown hair which hung over his eyes and almost covered up the Suna fore head protector that was dutifully tied across his forehead. His expression was more eager and he nodded vigorously at his grandfather's orders.

"Kohei, make sure that your cousins are prepared for extra missions and that the youngsters are training properly."

"Yes, Grandfather."

Without another word the candle was extinguished and the three were shrouded in darkness.

-Line-

Noemi's POV

Normal people. What are they? Are they civilians or shinobi? What do they do for a living? Do they wake up with the help of an alarm clock or do they rise all on their own, signaled by some cosmic force that tells them the exact time to wake up? Either way I doubt they wake up to the sound of two twelve year olds arguing above them with the sweet sound of chaos in the background.

"The glass is totally half full, you pessimist!" (Hisa, a fierce happy-go-lucky girl who I swear was an eternal optimist just to annoy her twin)

"No, it isn't! Quit looking on the bright side! It's totally half EMPTY!" (Eri, my sweet little pessimist who never seems to understand that Hisa is messing with her)

I opened my eyes to see my twin cousins, Eri and Hisa arguing over a glass half filled with water. For a second I could only stare at the sand colored wall behind the pair as I tried to wake up and smother the urge to smack them silly.

Suddenly they both turned to me.

"Noemi-chan! Is the glass half full or half empty!"

They both chorused in angry voices. I could only stare. Each of them had long brown hair, tan skin and fiercely blazing yellow eyes, and at the moment I was too tired to even try to tell them apart.

Noticing the dryness in my mouth I grabbed the glass and quickly drank the water before handing it back to them.

"Neither, now it's just empty."

They stared at me, shocked, before dissolving into giggles. Wiggling out of the covers, I made my way to the dresser situated in the corner of the room next to a small circular window. I heard my bed creak, as the two made themselves comfortable on it and I sighed. Great, an early morning gossip session with the twins.

"Hey, what time is it?"

I asked hoping to distract them.

"About 6 o'clock."

One of them piped up and before I could say anything else the other quickly jumped in.

"So… What do you want for your birthday, Noemi-chan?"

I waited a minute or two before answering, pulling on some black cotton pants and a dull yellow, long sleeved shirt over the tank top and underwear I wore to bed.

"Well something to cover my neck would be nice. I keep getting burnt there and it's-"

"Noemi-chan~!"

They both practically wailed.

"Come on, you're gonna be nineteen soon! You should stop covering up! Go get yourself a man!"

I turned around, stuffing my arms through the sleeve of a brown jacket that reached to my mid thigh, only to see them both winking at me suggestively. Knowing better than to show any signs of weakness, they can smell fear you know, I just turned back around to search for my belt.

"And what would you want me to do with this man once I get him?"

They both laughed and acted as if it were obvious.

"Marry him and make us a bunch of second cousins!"

I could feel my blood run cold and my face get hot. My legs feel numb from all the blood rushing to my face. Thank God I turned around when I did.

"Woah! I don't think this conversation is rated PG anymore."

I let out a breath of relief. Thank God.

"Come on, you two. I told you to go outside and train with everyone else."

I hadn't even noticed that the earlier sound of chaos had disappeared. Slowly, the two got up and shuffled out of my room, complaining the whole way.

Taking a deep breath in hopes of regaining my composure, I turned towards the sixteen year old now standing in my door way.

"Kohei, you're a lifesaver."

He just flashed a smile my way, his dark yellow eyes shining with laughter. Twitching at his expression I decided to change the subject before he could tease me. Glancing out the window, I saw a small herd of our cousins goofing off in the small training ground the house offered.

"So you're trying to train them all in one go, huh? That's… courageous…"

More like impossible…

He just laughed at me, shaking his head in a resigned way.

"I swear, I tell two or three to come and train, twenty of them show up and they all go crazy."

I was about to make a witty remark when his expression became serious. Pausing in my search for a belt, I watched him warily.

"The sand siblings got back last night."

I hummed in a disinterested way, trying to not give anything away as dozens of questions filled my head.

"Gaara was injured."

I whirled around, only to come face to face with Kohei. His face was solemn, but his eyes were angry. I could tell he had expected my reaction and he hated it.

"What happened?"

I whispered, afraid that anything louder would set him off. I could see his inner conflict, his eyes tracing the scar on my left cheek before he replied.

"An Uchiha broke through his sand shield and got him in the shoulder. Then some underdog managed to get him down for the count."

Kohei snorted towards the end. Then, without meeting my eyes Kohei grabbed something off my bed and handed it to me before leaving the room.

Awe and confusion filled me. Someone landed a hit on Gaara? Fear and worry came next, sweeping away any awe I felt but allowing a horrible feeling of utter confusion and gut wrenching worry to remain. I began to imagine horrible injuries, pools of blood, and sea-foam colored eyes filled with pain. Deep down I felt a long buried emotion begin to float towards the surface. Quickly forcing down all the emotions threatening to overflow, I calmly secured the belt Kohei had handed me around my hips and went off in search of my shoes.

-Line-

When I arrived at the spherical building where the Council members' and Kazekage's offices were there was almost no one there.

As I passed the Kazekage's office I heard a faint rustling. I almost dismissed the sound and kept walking, having become used to it in all the years I've worked in and around the Council members' offices. Then it suddenly hit me.

The Kazekage's dead.

Why would someone be in his office?

Stepping towards the door, I raised my hand to knock.

Suddenly the door swung open. A young man a couple of years younger than me stood in the doorway, looking nearly as shocked as I was. His purple face paint was smudged and his black body suit appeared rumpled. Recognition struck me like a lightning.

Noticing another person behind him who I also recognized, I quickly bowed before the two.

"Kankuro-sama, Temari-sama."

I took a couple steps back so they could exit their father's old office. For a moment they just stood there. I could tell from their faces that they were exhausted, but from the look in their eyes I saw that they still had something they were determined to do.

"u-Urufu-san?"

Temari attempted weakly, I doubt she knows my name but yellow eyes run in the family so that was a good guess. I nodded and smiled.

"Come with me. I'll get you two some tea."

I kept smiling and fought off any argument with the full force of my signature Urufu stare.

-Line-

Despite their reluctance to follow me I practically watched the tiredness drain out of them as they drank the tea. I didn't say anything while we sat in my grandfather's office. I doubt there is anything I could possibly say that would help them cope with the death of their father.

It was only once they were exiting the room that I bothered to say anything. I fought off the image of bloody red hair and shifting sand as I spoke.

"If you three need anything, you can come to me and I'll help."

Kankuro just gave me a slight nod to show he had heard, but Temari tensed. I could feel her green eyes searching mine, looking for hatred or an ulterior motive. I just smiled weakly back at her, desperately hoping that my eyes didn't give away too much.

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**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'll try to post another one soon. Please review so I know how it is so far. **

**If anyone is confused this is happening right after the failed attack during the Chunin exams and I assumed it takes several days to travel between the villages so that's how Konoha and Suna have agreed to be allies despite the Sand Siblings just arriving. :)  
**

**My timing of the events may be a bit off since it's been a while since I watched the anime... but whatever...  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**__Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto! **

* * *

**_Control and Affection_**

**_Chapter 2_**

**Help**

Noemi's POV

It's been nearly a week since the sand siblings returned from the Chunin exams in Konoha. I haven't seen hide or hair of any of them, not that I really expected them to come to me, a civilian, for help of any kind.

As per my grandfather's order I have shown up every day at nine o'clock and worked till five o'clock as his assistant. Mostly I just run around retrieving and delivering different forms and reports for him. Occasionally he would send me to get some tea if he thought I needed something to do.

Today he told me to organize the files concerning Sunakagure's economic activities which were securely locked up in a big filing cabinet in a corner of his office. Honestly I have no idea why any of this information would be kept. So far I had only seen requests from different food venders asking for permission to sell their goods in the streets or at various public events.

I mean why would we ever need the paper saying that someone has the Kazekage's permission to sell _dango _in the streets? I groaned mentally. All the small print and illegible writing is giving me a headache.

I stood up. Looking around my feet, I contemplated how I should try and escape from the fort of paper I had built around myself. Stepping over one of the smaller stacks of files, I silently thanked my taller-than-average-ness as I walked towards the door.

Being the oldest of the youngsters I've always seemed to tower over the people around me. So far only grown men have been able to exceed me in height, my cousin Kohei only needs to grow a couple of inches before he'll be taller than me. Now that I think about it Kankuro is only a couple of inches shorter than me now, unlike his sister, Temari, and his brother…

Oh bad thoughts, bad thoughts. My traitorous heart is beating faster. Too fast. Different topic. Need to think about something else.

Um, dogs.

Kohei's creeper bangs that cover his eyes.

Food.

"Noemi."

"Food."

Wait, what?

Glancing back, I saw that Grandfather was giving me a weird look.

"I'm going to go get some folders for the paperwork concerning food venders."

I supplied, hoping that would answer whatever question he had asked me while I was off in la-la land.

He nodded. A small smirk plastered on his face. I inwardly frowned at his expression. It was an 'I'm so glad that child has stopped acting silly and has started to bend to my will, buwahaha' kind of expression that irritates me like nothing else can. The evil laugh at the end is optional though.

I sighed inwardly. Irritation, hot and liquid, bubbled up inside of me, threatening to overflow. I took a deep breath as I opened the door.

_Lesson number one of leadership: Control your emotions. They will be your downfall. _

My father's voice echoed in my head. The lava of my irritation cooled, leaving behind another layer of rock to protect my heart.

-Line-

I retrieved a stack of folders from the 'assistants' closet', but as I approached the room I could hear my grandfather's raised voice, clearly agitated about something.

I paused outside the door. To enter or not to enter? I shrugged and knocked twice before I opened the door.

Seated at his desk was my grandfather, no big surprise there.

In the center of the room was Gaara.

My heart lurched at the sight of his blood red hair. My blood turned to ice when he turned around. All at once I wanted to run far, far away from here and get closer to him. It took every ounce of control to not flinch when his eyes met mine.

I could feel my blood rushing to my face, making it both achingly cold and burning hot at the same time. I bowed, feeling light headed as even more blood migrated to my face.

"Gaara-sama."

If Gaara said anything in response I didn't hear it as my grandfather quickly barked out an order.

"Noemi! Leave!"

Whirling around in hopes of hiding my red face, I practically ran out of the room and shut the door. I barely had enough time to force down my blush when I heard a slight rustling sound. In an instant there was a mini whirlwind of sand then Gaara stood in front of me.

His eyes watched me warily as I tried to appear as calm as possible at this point. My heart was pounding in my chest, a sound I desperately hoped his ninja senses wouldn't pick up.

An awkward silence ensued as he quietly assessed me, not saying a word or showing any kind of emotion on his face. Well it was awkward for me. He didn't seem at all shaken by it.

"You're Noemi Urufu?"

His voice was fairly deep, almost a monotone. For a second I couldn't tell if he was asking a question or just stating a fact. I nodded slowly, just in case it was a question.

"I was told you would help me."

This threw me off more than anything else. When I told Temari and Kankuro I would help the three of them I know I must have said what I did in some sort of indirect way to see Gaara, but I never actually thought any of them would actually take me up on my offer.

I glanced up at a clock that was conveniently placed on the wall and saw that it was nearly noon.

"Come with me."

I smiled slightly at him, hoping that it would help him relax and tell me what he needed. The shaken look on his face made the smile slide off my face.

-Line-

We walked in silence through the streets of Suna towards the house where my grandfather and I live. I pulled the hood of my brown jacket over my head as the wind picked up, blowing sand into my face and turning my hair into a big mess in seconds flat. Gaara walked beside me in silence.

I glanced at him from the corner or my eye, hoping that the locks of hair that had escaped my ponytail would keep him from noticing my observation of him. Being so close to him caused so many strange sensations in my body

My heart hurt at the sight of him, my body was numb with fear of him, my stomach was filled with butterflies at his proximity, my heart thundered at the thought of him, and the thought of him made me feel light headed.

I noticed that there were few people on the road as we walked. Many of them were pressed against the sides of buildings or hiding in the shadows of alley ways. I could hear a malicious murmur all around us.

In the distance I saw a lone figure standing in the middle of the road. Gaara seemed to see the person too. With each step he grew more and more tense.

As far as I could tell the person was male, and a civilian like me. He looked like a Suna native, knowing just enough about Gaara to hate him, but not enough to keep his distance like everyone else.

The sight of me seemed to surprise him. I don't think he realized I'm just a civilian like him. He only noticed my yellow eyes. A sure sign of an Urufu and as far as the civilians know _all Urufu are shinobi_. Though I doubt the scar on my cheek makes anyone think I'm just a civilian.

Once we got in ear shot of the man Gaara looked like a moving statue, his muscles were tensed and ready in case the man attacked.

Glancing down at Gaara, it suddenly struck me how small he was. I'm nearly a foot taller than him and I wouldn't be surprised if I weighed twice as much as him. A sudden wave of protectiveness washed over me.

The man took a step forward and I heard Gaara's sand rustle threatening around him. Before either of them could go any further I stepped in front of Gaara and growled at the man. I kept my eyes narrowed and my lips peeled back in a snarl, the growl rumbling threateningly in my throat. I tried to keep the fear that the man would see past my bluff out of my eyes.

The man looked from me to Gaara. His eyes scanning both of us for weapons, he didn't have to look long for Gaara's weapon. The gourd was strapped to his back like it had been for most of his life. I, on the other hand, had my jacket, which had multiple pockets which could be mistaken as places for ninja tools.

The man considered his options for a moment before he stepped aside. My jaw snapped shut and I began walking, making sure that I was between the man and Gaara.

We continued to walk in silence. The only difference was that now while I was looking at Gaara, I saw that he was looking at me too.

* * *

**So... How'd you like it? **

**Please review!  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto! **

**This chapter is dedicated to pitifuldreamer666 who was the first person to review! Yay! Ask and you shall receive! I hope you enjoy this chapter! :D  
**

**Oh and for anyone who saw that Noemi's almost nineteen and was like 'ew nineteen with thirteen! Pedophile!' calm down. While there is an age gap *Spoiler* little if anything romantic will really happen at this point cause I think that with that big of an age gap too much romance while he's so young is kinda awkward so I'm not gonna write any heavy romance while he's still a genin and after that those two are gonna have fun getting past that later on in the story! haha poor Gaara...  
**

* * *

**_Control and Affection_**

**_Chapter 3_**

**To Be Kazekage**

Noemi POV

When we finally reached the house I invited him in. His steps were silent and his face showed no emotion, but I could tell he was hesitant. Well, wary might be a better word. I don't blame him though. Years of hatred have probably made interactions like this seem totally alien to him.

Taking a deep breath to steady my frantically beating heart, I lead him into the kitchen and offered him a chair next to the small table where grandfather and I would occasionally eat our meals if there were no cousins visiting. He hesitantly placed his gourd next to the chair as he sat. Absentmindedly, I wandered around the kitchen and made some tea.

When the tea was done I poured some into two cups and put one on the table in front of him. He merely nodded at me. Again I was struck by how small he is. He couldn't be any taller than Hisa or Eri. Yet if he wanted to he could kill me with little to no effort on his part.

I chuckled softly at the reversed roles. I'm six years older than him yet he commands more power than I could ever even dream of. His eyes immediately snapped towards me, his expression serious.

Whoops, I guess I shouldn't have done that. I tried to play it off with a smile.

"Have you eaten yet?"

His eyes narrowed at me, but he shook his head anyway. Searching the cupboards I warily picked out two packages of instant ramen and began to boil some water. Again…

Finally, I sat down across from him, feeling silly considering I had just heated up some water for tea a couple of minutes ago. Taking a sip of my now lukewarm tea, I asked him cautiously,

"So, what do you need help with?"

"I want to become someone who is needed, instead of a weapon that is feared. I want to become the Kazekage of Sunagakure."

I could only stare at him, my head practically spinning from the amount of words he had spoken and the meaning behind them. He met my gaze solemnly, almost challengingly. For a moment his gaze flickered towards the stove. Twisting around to look, I immediately got to my feet as I noticed that the water was boiling crazily.

Ripping the paper lids off the cups of ramen, I quickly poured in the boiling water before searching for some chop sticks. Once I found them I set a pair of chop sticks and a cup of steaming ramen in front of Gaara. His gaze implied that he was waiting for an answer of some sort.

Running a hand through my hair, I resisted the urge to pull out my ponytail and redo it. I didn't bother questioning his motives, they were self-explanatory. I could see why he would want to be someone valuable to the village rather than some sort of tool for it to use or discard as it sees fit.

"You'll need to start taking missions with teams with members that aren't your siblings. It wouldn't hurt for you to start volunteering at the academy either. Border patrol with some of the older shinobi could help. Make friends, start hanging out with people, and absolutely no more joy-killing."

He seemed surprised as I rattled off what he would need to do, as if he thought I would go back on my word and not help. Towards the end his expression hardened, but he remained silent.

Without a word he picked up the chop sticks and began to eat the ramen. I followed suit and tried to think of more things he could do. As much as I supported his new goal I couldn't help but find more obstacles than solutions. My previous headache was beginning to make a comeback.

"I am unused to interacting with others."

Gaara's deep voice snapped me from my thoughts. I focused on him and noticed that his cup was empty and his hands were crossed across his chest. He was watching me critically, waiting for my response.

I sighed. Yes, that lack of 'interaction' was probably the biggest thing standing in his way of becoming the Kazekage. I tried my best to smile. I could tell it came out weak.

"Gaara-sama, if you need help all you need to do is ask."

His eyes met mine and I tore my gaze away. I choked down the last of my ramen before gathering up the cups of ramen and tea. I placed the ramen cups in the trash and preoccupied myself with washing the dishes.

"So… how is your shoulder?"

I questioned lightly, trying to not to show how much the question has been bothering me ever since Kohei told me about his injury. There was silence for a few moments and I wondered if he was still here.

"It's… Better."

I restrained my sigh of relief at his answer, but felt a flush come to my face.

"I'm glad."

There was a faint rustle of sand and he was gone.

-Line-

When I returned to my grandfather's office he merely gave me a nod before returning to his paper work, his eyes distant and angry. I simply returned to filing the useless paperwork concerning food stands of all things.

-Line-

"Kohei! Why does the curry taste sweet!"

"Did you put sugar in it?"

Grandfather, Kohei, Eri, Hisa, and I were all sitting at the kitchen table with plates of curry and rice. Personally, I was listening to Eri and Hisa torment Kohei, and I'm sure that at least half of the cousins who were currently seated in the other room were listening in too.

When Eri and Hisa decide to join forces they can be truly formidable, both in the battle field and at home. I tried not to laugh at Kohei's expression as several other cousins voiced their support for the twins' accusations from the other room.

Grandfather didn't comment, deciding instead to pretend that his home wasn't filled to the brim with a bunch of young shinobi ranging from the ages of six to sixteen. He still had a distantly angry expression from his encounter with Gaara earlier today.

Kohei's expression was semi-murderous as he glared at the twins, silently daring them to complain again. They merely giggled at his anger.

"So, Noemi, where did you go for lunch today?"

Grandfather's offhanded question caught the whole table's attention. The cousins other room didn't seem to sense the sudden change in topic as the steady murmur from the other room continued.

I kept any tension out of my face and voice as I answered, giving Kohei a look as I did so.

"I ate with Kohei."

Kohei's brow creased slightly as he processed the information, probably wondering what I was trying to hide from Grandfather. The twins caught the look and glanced between us, but said nothing.

I decided to press Grandfather, see what exactly made him so angry even though I think I have some idea.

"Why what happened before I came in today?"

"That damned demon child came into my office and told me he wanted to be the Kazekage! As if anyone in the village council would allow that!"

Kohei's eyes immediately snapped to me and the twins visibly paled. There was a deafening silence from the other room.

I could feel my anger returning, searing hot as it seeped through my heart. It heated my blood and curled my hands into fists as I restrained the urge to growl at my grandfather's words.

"What's wrong with him wanting to be Kazekage? It's better than him roaming the streets killing civilians. Not to mention he's probably one of the strongest ninja in the village."

My grandfather flushed angrily at my words and practically growled at me.

"Noemi! He's a monster no matter how you look at it! I would not trust him with my own life, let alone the lives of everyone in the village!"

_Lesson number two: __Don't fight the emotions of others. They will consume you. _

"He's right, Noemi! Gaara is a demon!"

Eri and Hisa hesitantly chorused, immediately followed by several of the cousins in the other room who had gathered around the entrance to the kitchen. Swinging around, I snarled at them, a fierce animalistic sound that quickly silenced them. I turned back to Grandfather, who sat stiffly in his chair. His lips also drawn back in a snarl, but his eyes betrayed his inner confusion at my reaction. My voice was a barely recognizable snarl.  
"That's where you and I differ, Grandfather. I trust Gaara. With. My. Life."

* * *

**So... How'd you like it? **

**Please review! I promise generally when I see that someone has reviewed my stories I will do my best to write another chapter and post it as soon as possible for whatever story that was reviewed!  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**_Control and Affection_**

**_Chapter 4_**

**Family Bonds**

Noemi POV

After the argument I settled myself on the roof. The night breeze was cool against my face, helping calm my inner anger that was threatening to consume me. I wish I hadn't let myself get so angry. It would have been better if I played dumb and allowed Grandfather to vent his feelings. Now he must suspect that I'm up to something concerning Gaara.

I ripped the hair band out of my hair, desperately trying to gather my thoughts as I ran my fingers through the unruly locks. Different emotions swam like fish just under the torrent of suppressed rage, impossible to grab on to without giving in to my anger.

Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I resisted Kohei as he attempted to pull me into a hug. Sighing at my stubbornness, he sat next to me, his arm slung across my shoulders.

Without thinking I snarled, plunging headfirst into my anger.

"He's just a kid, Kohei!"

He glanced at my scar, his expression stony.

"He sure doesn't kill like a kid."

I glared at him. He didn't even flinch. I continued on, unable to control the powerful force of my anger any longer.

"They don't understand, at all! YOU don't understand!"

His hand reached up to touch my scarred cheek. I flinched away from him.

"Noemi, we'll never be able to understand if you don't explain your reasons to us. You and I both know you aren't defending him just because he's a kid."

It's always astounded me how easily Kohei could change my anger into sadness. My previously boiling hot anger cooled into sorrow. Still unable to control the flood of emotion I began to cry. Slowly my sadness drained from my body in the form of tears, staining Kohei's shirt as I pressed my face against his shoulder. We sat like that for a long time. Kohei gazing at the night sky while he slowly stroked my hair and waited for the tears to stop.

When I finally pulled away Kohei quietly handed me a large, white handkerchief. Laughing slightly, I gratefully wiped my face before handing it back to him.

"Wow, what a gentleman!"

He laughed too, a smile finally breaking through his solemn expression.

"I need to be when I have such a crybaby cousin!"

I laughed at this, swatting his hand away as he began to ruffle my hair.

"So… Where did we go to lunch today?"

Oh, god. I knew he would ask this. I had just hoped I would have a bit more time to think of a way to phrase it.

"Well, you and I ate lunch with Gaara at that one place you like so much. And we agreed to help him become the Kazekage. We had a great time too. A real bonding experience."

He stiffened next to me. I could feel anger and worry radiating off him in waves.

"Did you really have lunch with _Gaara_? Are you okay?"

I rolled my eyes at his worry, slightly irritated at his attitude towards Gaara.

"Yes, I did. He was a perfect gentleman. Ate every last drop of ramen I made him. Not a scratch on me either. He's changed, Kohei."

He rubbed his face with his hands, groaning softly. When he finally looked at me I could tell he was shocked that I wasn't killed but also exasperated at my actions.

"Really, Noemi, Kazekage? You do realize that the only person in Suna who isn't scared of him is you, right?"

I didn't want to admit that I was scared stiff, because then he would question why I bothered to go through so much trouble for Gaara. Even I didn't have an answer to that.

"I wasn't lying when I said I trust him with my life, Kohei, I really do."

He sighed and got up, tugging me onto my feet along with him. Grabbing my arm, he led me back into the house.

"You owe us big time, Noemi."

-Line-

Kohei decided to go back to his apartment once he coaxed me back into the house. In the time we had been on the roof everyone had cleared out. Whether they had left on their own or been thrown out by Grandfather was a mystery.

I didn't hear any sounds from upstairs, where both my grandfather's and my own room where located along with a guest room and a bath room. I guess he retreated to his office. Lately he and I have been on shaky ground as he wanted me to take responsibility for leading the clan, but he didn't share my opinions on many issues. These little disagreements have had a negative impact on the clan's moral.

Our clan thrives on harmony between the members. Without it, everyone becomes disoriented and has trouble working together. Technically I'm the 'leader' of my cousins aka the 'youngsters'. Grandfather leads of many of the older shinobi in the clan, namely my aunts and uncles in addition to his position on the council of Sunagakure.

As I made my way upstairs toward my room, I began to think of how to overcome the newest obstacle in Gaara's path, my Grandfather.

Opening my door, I immediately noticed the outline of two shapes sitting on my bed. I turned on the light. Eri and Hisa's determined yellow eyes locked onto me, daring me to try and get away.

Without a word the two scooted onto either side of my bed, leaving a large gap for me to sit with them. I sat on the edge of the bed, closing my eyes as I waited for their inevitable questioning.

Silence.

I opened my eyes and looked between the two. They were waiting for me to explain myself. Eri looked thoughtful and opened her mouth to say something before her Hisa threw her a sharp look, effectively shutting up her twin.

Sighing, I tried to capture some of the emotions buzzing around my heart in hopes of being able to explain my motivation for such a seemingly hopeless endeavor.

"I believe in him, you guys. I want to support him with everything I've got."

Their bright eyes studied me critically, but behind it all I could see their fear. Fear for me, fear of him, fear for their own lives, it nearly broke my heart. It feels like everything and everyone important to me are trying to destroy each other.

I gently reached out and pulled them to me. Putting my hand on the back of their heads, I drew them to me so that our foreheads touched with a light clink, the metal of their forehead protectors felt cool against my skin. Their breaths came in quick, gentle bursts of air.

"If there was even a shadow of a doubt that he might even _think_ of hurting _any _of you, I wouldn't even suggest it."

With small sighs of relief, Hisa flopped onto my lap while Eri wrapped her arms around my neck and pressed her face against my shoulder. Hisa lay face up on my lap, scanning my face intently while I soothingly rubbed her sister's back.

"Do you love him?"

I paused as I felt Eri freeze, silently considering the question.

"In a way, I suppose."

Eri looked up at me, a question in her eyes. Smiling slightly, I gave her a one armed hug.

"Is it because of Ryota?"

I looked down at Hisa; her eyes were intense and questioning. Hisa and Eri are too young to know who Ryota is besides from what they've heard about him from the rumors and gossip between the aunts and uncles. Kohei was young when Ryota was around, but he had witnessed Ryota's impact on my life. That's probably why he didn't bring him up if he could possibly avoid it.

I closed my eyes and thought of Ryota. Dark red hair jumped into my vision, quickly replaced by bloody red hair and sea-foam eyes.

"Somewhat. Yes."

I didn't realize that I had been crying until Hisa wrapped her arms around my waist and Eri reached up and pressed her cheek against mine.

"Well, as long as you support him so do we!"

* * *

**Happy 4th of July! :D  
**

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please review!  
**


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